One of the big laments this holiday shopping season (at least by retailers like Best Buy) is that customers are coming into physical stores to “showroom” electronic gadgets, and then going back home to buy their products online on Amazon – for far less money.

With all the oxygen in the room being sucked in by MOOCs, edX, and startups like Udacity and Coursera, one has to ask – are Colleges and Universities similarly victims of “Showrooming?”

The jury is still out.

However, if startups like Udacity and edX can parley their currently free courses into fungible and demonstrably marketable credentials, then it’s Katy-bar-the-door: it’s over.

You don’t have to be Nostradamus to see that changes are coming. All you have to do is visit your nearest bricks-and-mortar, big-box electronic retailer, and replace “laptop” or “TV” with “degree” in your mind.